Five on Friday

Welcome to another Friday, friends! The sun is shining brightly in Michigan today and we are slowly inching our way into warmer weather. This gives me hope and has me all amped up for today's Five on Friday. 

Here we gooooo!!!

1. Paying It Forward

This little cutie is Gabriel, the nearly-three-month-old son of a friend of mine. She's a single mom and is unfortunately caught in the double-edged sword of not making enough to make ends meet, but making "too much" to qualify for daycare assistance. She has set up a GoFundMe account in a pride-swallowing effort to raise enough to pay for six months of daycare for her baby boy until she can figure something else out. 

If it's in your heart to donate a few dollars, it'd be a great way to pay it forward. You can donate here. Maybe some kind soul out there will return the favor to you someday when you are in need.

2. New Hair

My hair color of choice has been "natural" for nearly ten years, and in an effort to shake it up a bit more than my normal "bangs, no bangs, bangs, no bangs" routine, I thought I'd get some caramel highlights put in.

The highlights are subtle (but after ten years of not touching your hair in the color department, the color feels "wild" to me and I'm still adjusting), but I'm glad I've shaken things up a bit. I also had a few inches cut off and feel like a million bucks. I feel like a kid after summer break getting ready to head back to school (work). 

3. "Southern Charm" on Bravo

I know. You're shocked. I've been roped into another Bravo series. I'm sorry, but Andy Cohen just has my heart and knows the exact kind of fabulous mindlessness I need to let my brain zone out sometimes. That and some of my favorite bloggers are from down south, so I've been kind of into the southern culture lately. 

This is a fun show. Nothing more, nothing less. You may feel like watching a game of polo and having a splash of whiskey afterwards. Maybe. Just sayin'. 

4. Art for Baby Book

Thanks to this amazing Facebook group I joined back last summer that is comprised of a small group of women--all were due in December of 2013--I've had the opportunity to discover neat things for my son I may have never found otherwise. This is one of them.

This book--"Art for Baby"--is made up of black and white, high-contrast drawings by contemporary artists that helps your baby discover new things. My son absolutely loves it and smiles and laughs at his favorite paintings. Highly, highly recommend it! 

5. Personal Trainer

After posting a Facebook status message a little while back and receiving many recommendations (thank you all!), I've secured the services of a personal trainer who works out of the gym I already attend. She has so many exciting and creative ways to help her clientele maintain healthy lifestyles and I'm looking forward to working with her. We are scheduled to start on March 20th and I couldn't be more excited. (And scared! Haha)

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone!!

Cheers,

Samara

Getting Started Is The Hardest Part - Week 4

Good morning, friends. Congratulations, you've officially made it to the middle of the week! 

How are your personal fitness goals coming along? Since health and wellness is about much more than just burning calories, I've decided to focus my efforts this week on things we put INTO our bodies (as opposed to what we burn off) and some apps that help us track this activity.

Week 4 

1. Vitamins

 I haven't perused the vitamin aisle in quite some time as I was on prescription vitamins during my pregnancy. Before pregnancy, I was taking Women's One-A-Day. When I went looking to purchase a new bottle of vitamins, I was slightly overwhelmed by the choices of vitamins for women (even the ones made by the same manufacturer). 

I purchased a bottle of the Women's One-A-Day brand pictured above, but was left wondering if some other vitamin was "better". It was hard to put down the "More Energy" vitamin bottle, but I decided to since I figured there was a focus on only certain ingredients and I'd thus be left with less of a balanced ingredient menu. Sure enough....

What brand of vitamin do you take? Any recommendations? Also, any recommendations for a brand for men? 

2. Fun iPhone Apps To Keep Me On Track

A.) My Fitness Pal

My Fitness Pal

Many moons ago, I downloaded "My Fitness Pal", but never got around to figuring out how to use it. (Not that it's rocket science--I was just being lazy.) With my recharged fitness efforts, I decided to download the app again when I purchased my new phone. 

I was tickled to discover that the My Fitness Pal app is a little like a mini version of Facebook for health and nutrition--complete with a news feed--and is rather fun. You can add "friends", "like" activity from friends, track your food, exercise and more. I like that you can enter a weight goal and it can tell you how long it would take you if you stay on your current (tracked)fitness and nutrition plan.

B.) Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers

Before our wedding in 2012, I was actually tracking my fitness activity and daily food intake rather well on Weight Watchers. My husband also lost a ton of weight before our wedding by using this app to really keep on top of his diet.

Well, it'd been so long since I'd tracked my food on this app that I'd forgotten my password. (Oops!) I have downloaded this app onto my phone again, and am logged in and tracking!

My husband is also being super supportive by getting back onto WW as well.If you see him, please send him words of encouragement. We all need it from time to time, but especially in the beginning days and weeks when we are getting back into the swing of things after a period of gluttony and being sedentary. :-P

Good luck with Week FOUR!!

Cheers,

Samara

Five on Friday

Today's "Five on Friday" is only a little Valentine's Day related so as not to nauseate you. 

;-)

Fill your cup with some java and settle in to today's Five on Friday!

1. #Team Teddy

A very important challenge was given to today's Five on Friday participants--one that I admittedly missed. So, I am happily rewriting my #1 on my Five on Friday.

The Five on Friday participants are attempting to spread awareness about a little boy named Teddy, who is suffering from a terminal syndrome known as Menkes Syndrome (also known as "kinky hair syndrome"), which affects approximately 1 in 450,000 male babies. 

For my # Team Teddy sign, I've included my own baby's boys footprints. I never take for granted the fact that we were blessed with a healthy child. 

You can read more about the syndrome and Teddy's story here.

2. House Hunters International

I love "House Hunters" as well, but "House Hunters International" offers a way to live overseas vicariously for about twenty minutes or so per episode (subtracting commercial time). What else is wonderful about this show? The opportunity to escape phrases like "open plan", "soaking tub" and "granite countertops" that might as well play ON LOOP on "House Hunters", save for the few stubborn Americans who are set on having the American house overseas. 

While watching, I regret to inform you that you will still be met constantly with this: "space to entertain". Because every couple that picks up and moves to small towns on the top of the mountains in remote locales has friends and family stopping by alllll the time, right? (Who are these people?!)

3. Padlock Love Messages

In the spirit of what is happening on the Pont Des Arts bridge in Paris, our local newspaper allowed its readers to have a padlock with a love message written on it placed on a bridge on the front of its cover yesterday. Read more about it (and see the message I wrote to my Thomas) here.

4. Hello, Sunshine!

Some people just hate winter. I'm not one of those people. I'm from Michigan and used to all four seasons--in fact, I look forward to them. But this winter has been BRUTAL--ice storms, Polar Vortex, and dumpings and dumpings of snow. Enough, already! 

Mother Nature must have heard our plea. We've had a few days of blue skies and sunshine (OK, maybe not today), right in a row, and the forecast is calling for temps in the 40s very soon! That's practically a heat wave compared to the -20 degrees we've been experiencing!

Oh, and I absolutely loved seeing pictures and status messages in my Facebook newsfeed yesterday about the melting snow. Yippee! 

 5. Homemade Valentine's Cards

Since our son can't very well make his own Valentine's Day cards just yet, (he did truly help with a portion of the card, though) I had to drag out the craft tubs this week and bust a hump. 

It's been a long time since I've made a homemade card for Valentine's Day. While it took quite a bit of time to make them all--and I'll be sweeping up glitter and picking up ribbon bits for days to come--I'd forgotten how homemade cards are so special. It was rather nostalgic and I may make my own next year.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cheers,

Samara